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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — a group
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. club — for dancing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. capital — money
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — for golf
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com